


Together we're here

by MarianaDeep



Category: Splatoon
Genre: Canon Compliant, Gen, Mariana Deep, Minor Marina/Pearl (Splatoon), Octo Expansion DLC, POV Third Person, Past Tense, Post-Octo Expansion DLC, Post-Splatoon 2
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-08
Updated: 2020-03-08
Packaged: 2021-02-28 23:26:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,336
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23065453
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MarianaDeep/pseuds/MarianaDeep
Summary: The Deepsea Metro, a maze of deadly tests that brought even the best down with the rest. Eight has been able to discard her issues with that reality and live in the moment, However, Three may be a different story altogether. Despite persistent texts and endless calls from both her and Four, Three has been off the grid ever since they escaped a week before. After such a traumatizing time in the Deepsea Metro, Eight isn't about to let her first real friend slip through her fingers. She intends to figure out what has Three so distant, rain or shine, battle or peace, the hardcore inkling won't be alone anymore.
Comments: 2
Kudos: 9





	Together we're here

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [I Must Con(Fes)s](https://archiveofourown.org/works/22629346) by [yumes_studio](https://archiveofourown.org/users/yumes_studio/pseuds/yumes_studio). 



> Apologies if some of this doesn't seem as ironed out as possible, it is my first ever Splatoon Fanfic after all. This is simply put, an experiment to give me an understanding of the character's personalities and how I should be looking to present them. A huge amount of thanks to [Yume's Studio](https://archiveofourown.org/users/yumes_studio/pseuds/yumes_studio) for being the one to inspire this, she's really given me a lot of hope for my work here.

Eight didn't think much of that tiny rain cloud on the horizon when she left that morning. Any words provided by the teachers seemed to fade into the background. It seemed anything and everything was well below Eight's current obsession. It wasn't a secret at all that both her and Four were losing sleep over it, they just couldn't wrap their heads around that one question, Eight especially. Why was Three Avoiding them so heavily? It'd been like this for nearly 2 weeks, ever since they got out of the Metro. Was she in trouble? Did something else happen in the Metro she wasn't aware of? Maybe it was just a stealth mission or something of that nature. Whatever the reason, Three hadn't been in contact with even Callie or Marie, and that raised all the suspicion Eight needed.

_No matter how horrible things may seem, a friendly face and will to help others will be the savior to turn the tide in your favor._ Eight let those words cross her mind constantly as the classes passed one by one. When Pearl said those words to her after they finally reached the city, she didn't fully understand the implication of the phrase, more a vague hint than anything. But after spending only a week in Inkopolis, spending it with those she trusted, doing things she'd never known could be so fun, so interesting, she understood completely. Agent 3 and she were friends, no matter what the circumstances were. That meant making whatever effort she could to keep her new life with the ones she's come to see as true friends.

8 8 8 8

Eight let out a sigh as she rushed into the warm and dry confines of a cafe, trying her best not to let the wet sound of water in her shoes make her regret not making an effort to check that weather report. She was still trying to become accustomed to checking it daily but she had lost so much sleep that it completely slipped her mind before heading out for school. It didn't help that she had to stay late to finish up some assignments due to her constant spacing out these last 2 weeks. Inkopolis North is about as strict as Octarian schools when it came to punctuality, but at least she wasn't learning how to kill others anymore.

Before she knew it, that rain cloud, small and un-intimidating, eventually grew to a monstrous size and began pouring rain like crazy within only a few hours. With small squishy steps, Eight made her way to another inkling sitting nearby. "Eight?" Four called out. "Geez you're soaked, where's your coat?"

"My coat?"

"Yea, the thing that helps you stay warm and dry."

"I do not own one, unfortunately."

"You're kidding? I'm telling Marina and Pearl as soon as we get the chance, you'll be wet no more."

"W-what, n-no, do not be doing that, I have taken enough generosity from them already, I can't do that to them."

"No buts Eight, we can't have you dropping dead in the streets from hypothermia after all. Sit tight, I'll get you a coffee, you look like need it."

**_A coffee, warm air, a sip._** Eight's mind drifted toward the rain cascading off the glass windows, falling ever gently to the ground with it's wet brethren. She wanted it to stop, for it to be another beautiful and bright day, just like yesterday, and the day she arrived for the first time. _**Another sip.**_ She removed her phone from her pocket and clicked the screen on. _No new messages._ This brought a look of concern to her face along with a bunch of other emotions she didn't quite get. She downed nearly half the cup at the moment, trying to drown her fears and worry before letting fresh air finally fill her lungs. "Have you received anything from her Mai?"

Four looked visibly stressed trying to put that answer into words. "Not a peep, no calls, no text, no nothing. From what Callie and Marie had relayed to me, Three isn't usually this physically distant as opposed to emotionally. She tends to keep her cool and bottle up her issues."

_So why is she suddenly on the run from everyone who could help her, it does not make sense._ Eight sighed at the thought, it was time to start the search again. Drenched or not, she wasn't going to idly sit by while her friend is suffering. 

Upon thanking the employee at the counter, Eight and Four pushed the door of the cafe open and proceeded back into the never-ending downpour. With a will unlike any other, they pushed through the wet shell of a day, asking whoever they could find if they had seen even a glimpse of green tentacles. That search quickly turned sour as not even some of the most observant had seen her. For some reason, she was way too good at hiding herself away, a ghost in the face of society as far as anyone was concerned. Then it dawned on Four, that maybe they were thinking too much about this. At first, she had assumed Three would go anywhere else but maybe, just maybe...

With haste, they quickly made her way to Inkopolis North Academy, the school in which Three and Eight attended. As they waited the rain out under the roof of a seating area, It didn't take long for a resident student to take notice of the bright and vibrant yellow tentacles among this dull grey day. "That uniform..." Four felt a surprising breath escape her as she turned to greet the male inkling voice that erupted from behind them. "Oops, sorry if I scared you, I just thought it funny to see someone from Inkblot on a totally different campus."

Four nervously chuckled at that. "O-oh, yeah I guess it's pretty rare. Say, you're a student at this school, you wouldn't happen to know a little about the dorm arrangements here would you, we're looking for someone."

He chuckled at that with a soft tone, giving Four a bit of anxiety at the moment. "Funny, an Inkblot Academy student on campus looking for an Inkopolis North student, well you don't see that every day. Sure, I suppose I can help ms," he uttered trying to get a name out of her.

Four internally cringed as she realized what she had to say next. They rarely ever used their actual names since Three, Four, and Eight stuck on so well. "What? O-oh my name right. It's Mai, Mai Yoshida."

"And you, you're one of our students aren't you? I don't believe we've met? I'm Koda Sato."

Eight smiled back his way. "I'm Maki Yoshino."

"Well Maki, Mai, you'll be pleased to know that I'm one of the dorm admins, if she's here I'll definitely know, what's her name? "

Four took it upon herself to answer this one. "Minori Maeda, long green tentacles, kind of a killjoy, like a huuuuge killjoy?"

"Well well well, looking our resident introvert herself, that's a first. I do believe she's in her dorm room today. Last I checked, she hauled tail right there as soon as classes ended for the day. Her room number is..."

8 8 8 8

Eight felt like a statue nailed to the ground where she stood. Despite the rain making her shiver in her wet clothes like a jackhammer, that wasn't the reason she felt so stiff. Sure she'd felt fear before, being in the Octarian army had its fair share of threats, but this was for some reason, so different. This was Minori's dorm room, the one place where she goes to get away from it all. Could Eight truly just show up unannounced like this and talk Three out of her slump? Would it even be that simple or would it take another week of wet cold rainy walks to get her to listen to reason? 

She felt her hand reach to knock on the door, but still, there was hesitation. "Come on Eight, get it together, you got this."

"I..."

"She's your friend right?"

"S-she is yes. She saved me, of course, she is."

"Then you shouldn't be any more nervous than you do with Marina or me. All you gotta do is knock on the door." 

Still, no movement came, only a lasting silence and the feeling of wet clothes. Eight groaned in annoyance at her weakness, stomping her foot a few times. With a deep breath, she finally called out, "Minori, are you in there?!" There was silence for a moment, but then shuffling inside made it plain as day that Three was indeed inside. "Minori? Minori, It is being us, Mai and Maki, may we please come in?"

"We can hear you walking in there Three, don't be a jerk, let your good old pals in." The shuffling stopped. At first, it seemed she was trying her best to keep the silence ever-present, but eventually the shuffling neared the door and from the other side, they could clearly hear sniffling. "Oh, thank cod you're not dead. Listen, I know you're probably going through something right now but let's talk this out ok?"

"Minori, please let us in, I promise we can get through this. What was it that Pearl said when we first returned to the city, No matter how horrible things may seem, a friendly face and will to help others will be the savior to turn the tide in your favor."

"And we can only be your saviors if you Open. The. Door."

A sigh sounded from the other side of the door before it's lock was turned and the door opened. To their surprise, there was Three, staring back at them with those emerald green eyes, a few tears still in her eyes from her failed attempt to wipe them away. What was new was the addition of a mask covering the lower part of her face. "Uh...Long time no see?" Four replied to break the silence.

Three simply observed them for a moment before replying, "Geez look at you two, you're soaked."

"Yea, kind of spent a lot of time outside trying to figure out where you were."

"And you two didn't think to just come to my dorm room first thing?"

"We figured you'd be outside like you always were." Eight chimed in. 

"The weather report said it was going to rain today, so I just stayed inside. Geez, Eight, four, you guys really should pay more attention to this kind of stuff. Come in, I'll get you guys some towels and power heater."

It didn't take long for Three to accommodate the duo, towels to dry off with, a power heater blowing a glorious burst of hot air their way, a fresh pot of coffee brewing, and she even had snacks, Four wished they'd come over more often if this was the experience she expected. Of course with Three being the loner she is, that was basically impossible. She was surprised that squid knew her dorm number to begin with, even if he was a dorm admin. But since they're here now, it was time to address the kraken in the room. While they sat ever so peacefully on the couch, Three simply leaned against the nearby wall, nose buried in her phone. "S-so..." Four began. "Uh...you guys never told me Inkopolis North Academy dorms are like little apartments, I mean you got enough space for a couch and a TV and what, like 2 other people, man it's good living over here."

Three let out another sigh. "I suppose you could say that..."

"A-and uh... you have a MakoMart right outside the school campus, which means, easy access to food and stuff to do right?"

Another sigh from Three. "Certainly helps a lot of squids ditch their morning classes." Even though Three seemed ok enough, each answer made Four a bit more anxious than last. Another and another, every time four felt her anxiety rising even more. "You guys looking to do a little turf war or something?"

"Ok ok fine, I guess it's now or never, right Eight?"

Eight nodded, getting to her feet and facing the green squid. "Why...why have you been avoiding us?"

"Yeah seriously, we've been blowing up your phone all week, are you ok?" Four chimed in.

Three clicked her phone off and slid it into her pocket, walking to lean against the kitchen counter before responding with a familiar, "I'm fine, I was just busy is all."

"A whole 2 weeks of nothing and that's what you give us? That is a terrible lie and you know it."

"Last time I checked Four, you're the one who thought to tell Marie a random octarian snuck into her house and ate all their cookies was a good lie."

"It could have been...more believable I guess."

"Exactly. Besides, it's not even that serious I was just feeling a little...overwhelmed is all. You know how I am ok, it's nothing new for me."

"According to Callie and Marie, I beg to differ. You usually bottle up your emotions but just plain out avoiding us, you're supposed to be the strong one in this group."

"Is it so wrong to want a little space, did we not almost get killed in an underground test lab for dummies?"

"Ok, I'll give you that, but the least you can do is voice that to us, so we at least understand you're ok."

"Not quite that simple Four."

"Not quite that simple my tentacles, you had us worried sick young lady."

Even under that mask, Four could see the slight smile Three cracked at that comment. "Geez, you're turning into Marie already aren't ya?"

"S-shut up, this is serious..."

"Just trying to lighten the mood."

"You're the one who was crying," Four huffed. "That's my job."

"And you did it, yay, I'm happy again, no need to talk about this. Any. More."

"You're not getting out of this one that easy Three, you owe us some type of explanation at least."

"Ugh, why can't you just leave this alone you two, I'm ok, I'm not dead, isn't that enough?"

"We were worried about you Minori." Even though it was such a simple statement, the octoling's voice left nothing to the imagination. Three felt her heartbeat with regret as those words drifted into her ears and the octoling's innocent eyes never left hers. She had to physically turn away to keep her composure.

Four felt a hint of progress with this and continued her assault. "Now you tell us what's going on or I swear I'll have Callie down here as fast as you can say ink, and you know how she is." Three groaned. "Is it because of me, Eight, all that business with DJ Octavio, what's your deal girl?" Four was given no answer, only a cold shoulder as Three turned slightly away from them and pushed her mask upward. 

They noticed, plain as day. It was like Three was a totally different squid at this moment. Her body seemed to shiver like she was standing in 30 below, her eyes couldn't focus on anything for more than a second. Her arms hugged her body like she had never known the warmth of another. The powerful and brave Three was...vulnerable. Four couldn't believe it. "I don't want to talk about it..."

"Minori..." Eight began. "It's because of you that we are who we are. If it weren't for you, I would be dead in some test chamber, never to see the light of day."

"And let's not forget who saved the world from DJ Octavio first."

"If me, your apparent sworn enemy as the past has shown, can come to trust you, Why can't you trust us?"

Three paused, eyes shaking with a fear she'd never known. "It's because I...I..."

"Minori?"

"I don't deserve it."

"M-Minori, what are you talki--"

"I don't deserve it, I don't deserve it at all!" Four and Eight both felt a hint of fear as Three turned to face them, her eyes filled with anger. "I was a hero and I did what heroes did. But then I got careless...and I messed it all up...you wouldn't understand..."

"Then help us understand." Eight replied before Minori's next action made her gasp in surprise.

In a flash, Minori ripped the mask from her face, throwing it down as tears streamed from her eyes. Four and eight hadn't noticed it until just now, the massive scar that painted the right side of her face. It wasn't a pretty sight, to say the least. "I want it gone." she whispered to herself. "To shell with that freaky phone that hijacked my brain, I just want it gone, I want it gone, I want it gone, I don't want it, get it off!"

"M-Minori..."

"All I am is a memory, a reminder of everything we went through in that messed up metro." The pain she had to have felt when she slammed her fist against the wall...the misery she must have been feeling when she dropped to her knees, tears pouring from her eyes. Eight could feel it all. "I'm nothing but a reminder of everything Eight escaped from. This scar...this freaking scar...all it is another reminder. I want Eight to live a happy life, a life free from anything to do with the Octarian society and all those tests. If you go on knowing me, that's never going to happen."

"...And I don't want it to."

Three looked up as Eight knelt down to her level and proceeded to give her the warmest hug she'd ever felt. "I don't want a life without you or Mai, or Marina and Pearl. I want all of you here, beside me. We're together and that's all that matters Minori."

Even in her despair, Minori could feel the warmth of the octolings very words touch her sorrow-filled soul. "Y-you're serious...you want to know me, even though I have this scar?"

"Forever and ever."

"That's what friends are for right?" Four added. "We got nothing but love for you Three, and we're not gonna stop because some freaky phone decided to brain jack you. Now stop the waterworks already, I wanna see that smile.

Three hated to admit it, but for once, maybe having friends wasn't as much a bother as she thought. A smile spread across her face as she finally returned Eight's hug. "Oh my cod, that was so cheesy, I could cry from that alone, but somehow, it worked. Thanks for snapping me out of it or whatever, sorry you had to see me like that."

"The almighty Agent 3, reduced to tears, it'd be a shame if someone told Marie about that."

"You do and I'll make sure she knows all about your little crush on her. Also, I'll probably hurt you."

Four cowered at those words. "P-point made, I got it, nice and clear."

"Good."

"By the way, looks like the rain is clearing up a little. Anyone up for a little turf war?"

"Well since I'm the reason you guys had to trek through that mess, Let's make a stop at MakoMart beforehand, my treat."

"Sweet!" Four, within a second, was out of the room with lightning speed.

"Wait, I only have abou--oh cod, I need to stop her before she has me in debt." A blush painted Three's cheeks as her eyes drifted toward the Octoling still lost in their hug. "Uh, E-Eight, you can let go of me now...please."

"Hmm? O-oh my," she uttered pulling back and rubbing her head nervously. "I am being very sorry, it was just so comfortable."

Even Three couldn't resist the innocence on this one, that blush becoming even more powerful than before. "I-It's fine. Now let's go catch Four before I have to knock some sense into her."


End file.
